


....And Into The Black

by ASCII42



Series: And the River Ran Black [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch, Corrupt Governments, Illegal Activities, Kinda, Moral Dilemmas, Not told in linear order, Strike-Commander Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Super Soldiers, The origins of blackwatch, short chapters as a format choice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-07 04:20:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASCII42/pseuds/ASCII42
Summary: Overwatch does a lot of good. It does a hell of a lot of good. But nothing can be that shiny and that righteous. Nothing like that can exist on its own.





	1. A Way To Fall

**Author's Note:**

> So I realized when writing this that some of the content could end up as inherently political. Just know that I would never use my fictional ramblings to rant about my own agenda. I'd much rather write an in character story that may or may not reflect my views. 
> 
> Also I went over this about 20 times but I'm sure there is still a typo somewhere. If you see one please tell me in the comments. 
> 
> Lastly please comment. Really, guys, I love feedback. It gives me life.

The reporter was, pretty, Jack supposed that was the word of her. It wasn't a compliment though. Pretty sounded the same as plastic. Not that he judged her for it, because yeah. He supposed he looked pretty too right now. The light glared to bright overhead illuminating everything in the same harshness as the green screen behind him. The whir of mechanics from cameras and speakers frying his nerves down the edge. He looked at himself in the reflection on the camera lens. 

"So." She said. Bleached hair bouncing just a little with the words. Like it might forcefully inject more enthusiasm into them. "Tell me, what's the secret to Overwatch's success. Why is it that you managed to succeed where the rest of the world has failed?" 

He looked into the camera and plastered the smile of a hero onto his face. It looked like sunshine. 

* * *

By the time they got to the SEP Gabe had already seen combat. And maybe he even thought of himself as hard. But then he's halfway through what was quickly shaping up to be the some of the most painful weeks of his life and they dump him and Ana with this fucking rookie. This fucking blond haired blue eyed golden fucking rookie. A kid with a million dollar smile and no blood on his hands. Except that's not quite right. Because everyone has it backward. Even years later, the media, the brass, half of Overwatch. They've got it backward. Because Gabe was never the cold one. 

But that's only part of the story. The bigger part of it is that after they ended the Omnic Crisis they didn't offer him the job as head of Overwatch. They offered it to Jack. But Jack being Jack laughed in their faces. Well, actually he smiled at them and very politely told them to go fuck themselves. From what Gabe understands basically bribes them into giving him the job. 

The first thing Gabe had done was make Jack and Ana his lieutenants. Giving them as much power as he legally could. On paper, he was Strike Commander. But it was the three of them that lead Overwatch. Jack kept his temper in check. He kept Jack from losing touch with the people in front of him. And Ana kept them both level. There were no kings here. At least that had been the idea. 

They started out with a good thing. Something simple. A goal to help those in need. They were fearless, invincible, maybe too much so. Riding off the high of victory over the Omnics. But it didn't last. It couldn't last. They started knocking down drug cartels. Wrecking the months of the mega-corporations and governments that funded them. In between that and the relief efforts in places they weren't technically supposed to be. Overwatch had made enemies fast. The difference was their enemies were stacking the deck, sandbagging them. 

After Amelie it became clear. A thing like Overwatch couldn't exist on its own. They didn't have to capacity for action. There was too much red tape. Too many regulations. They couldn't stay a step ahead when all their action were public. Couldn't move when they always needed to ask permission. To fight monsters, sometimes you have to think like them.  

So they built something else. Something that could move when Overwatch couldn't. It was barely legal. But the UN had signed off on it after being officially given the power to regulate Overwatch. Something they'd been forced to do more to take the heat off of them than anything. The founding of Blackwatch was just a bonus clause. And Gabe had read the report, all the paper work Jack and Ana set them. Jack had managed to make Blackwatch sound like something that would hardly be used. A benign "Information gathering program". He'd made it sound like something they could control. "The UN may file for Blackwatch operations to be completed." 

Ana bless her heart had ensured that they couldn't control it. She'd gone through every detail, put loopholes into everything, made sure no one who cared could notice. Now what they had was something that existed with no names, no paper trail. And no accountability. They could play judge jury and executioner. 

They were kings here.

But it was necessary. Wasn't it?

"You're sure about this?" Ana doesn't sound doubtful herself. She's just trying to be kind. To give him an out. 

They're sitting a locked basement room of the Watchpoint in Grand Mesa. Athena had been muted. All the microphones and surveillance turned off. A cheap desk has been set in the middle of the room and along with a couple chairs and non-networked tablet that had all of its wireless hardware removed. The document pulled up on the front page already has two signatures. It just needs his.  

But Gabe had been down this road before. He'd been sent to kill by people with no accountability. Been the one who made certain that very specific people died in very specific ways. He'd seen all the blood when it went wrong. And when it went right. As much as he trusted Ana and Jack they didn't understand the kind of creature they held. Despite seeing both their signatures on that page and both of them looking so sure, he couldn't stop the feeling that blood was already running down the drain in the floor. 

Ana has always been the one who believed in doing good on the micro scale. The one who saw a universe saved with every person. But Jack, Jack was the true believer among them. Not that he was naive to the corruption and amorality of those above them. It was kind of hard to be after what had been done to them in the SEP. It was that he believed in the potential of the what they had. That in the right hands it could change things. They could win. 

So it was no surprise that now it was Jack who took his free hand. Running his thumb across the back of it in calming patterns. "We have to try. What are we gonna do if we don't. Besides just imagine it. Missions with no paperwork. If it goes wrong we shut it down." 

He forced a small smile onto his face. They were gonna change the world. 

* * *

"Well," he says still beaming at the reporter. "We live by open values. Honesty, integrity, transparency. All our missions are public knowledge. By doing that we rely on the world to keep us in check. We ensure that what we do is for the betterment of it." 

"Can you tell us why Overwatch has chosen to put itself under the protection of the UN." 

"We hardly have the right to make those kinds of decisions. We've chosen to leave that to the people we serve." 


	2. The Aftermath Of Heroics

It was exactly 5 am when the phone went off. Jack woke up all at once as usual and set about trying to untangle himself from Gabe and Ana. By now they were all awake anyway so really he just elbowed Gabe until he could reach the phone and shove the damned thing to his ear. If only to get it to stop glowing like a floodlight.

"Hello." He used to introduce himself as soon as he picked up the phone. It sounded more professional to say, "Hello, Jack Morrison." Then to just say hi. But since he'd started working with the Overwatch taskforce everyone from reporters to murderous protesters wanted his number. Better not to give out his identity straight away.

"This is United Nations Taskforce Oversight. Can I speak to Commander Morrison?"

"This is him."

"Good. We'd like to schedule a meeting with you to discuss the potential future of Overwatch. As well as the direction of public narrative." 

"Of course. What time ma'am?" 

"The meeting will be at 15:30 today." 

"Thanks." He waited for her to hang up and a few seconds later the phone went black. Plunging them back into the comfortable pre dawn light. He shoved the phone under the pillow. Head hitting it a moment later. 

"What was that all about?" Ana was already out of bed and pressing buttons on the coffee machine. 

"Just meetings and stuff. I would suggest we go back to bed but I'm sure they'll call you next." 

Actually, it was odd that they'd called him first. Normally a thing like this would go through Strike Commander Reyes then to him. When and if Reyes decided it should. The secretary must be new. They'd be waking up the whole damned team this morning if he had to guess. 

Sure and enough 15 minutes later Gabe's discussion with UNTO was interrupted by a call from a very concerned Reinhart "Why the bloody hell did they call me!?" 

It had been ages since they'd had a morning to themselves. And after Gabe had banned Ana from the kitchen. That girl could not cook and should never be let near a stove. They proceeded to make enough food for 5 people with leftovers. Or just the right amount for 3 super soldiers. 

Gabe plopped down in front of the TV. For some reason sitting on the floor instead of on the couch he was using as a backrest like a normal person. 

"Let's watch Star Trek." Jack suggested. Mostly in a somewhat desperate attempt to avoid more of Gabe's westerns.  

"Star Wars." Said Ana. 

"Star Wars." Said Gabe. 

Several bags of popcorn later the credits on The Last Jedi rolled and Ana lead both of them up and onto the shower. It was a little small for all three of them but nobody seemed to mind.

"Stand still Jackie." With that Gabe grabbed a bottle of that fancy shampoo he liked and started working some it into Jack's hair. He melted into it. The tension leaving his body at the three of them being like this. It wasn't sexual. They were still mostly spent from the night before and the objective was actually to shower. It was just intimate. If he wasn't careful Jack was pretty sure he would get too relaxed and fall asleep. Standing up. In the shower. But like.... They would probably catch him before he fell over.  

By the time 14:00 came all of them were dressed up looking every bit the hero's the magazines made them out to be. But despite the pomp and circumstance Jack felt better than he had in weeks. Not that it would last to the end of the day. But he was determined to cherish it while he could. 

* * *

At exactly 15:20 that afternoon Morrison walked into the waiting area for the conference room and was informed by a girl with an immaculate bob cut that the council would be ready for him soon. "Have a seat if you like. There's tea and coffee on the house." 

The coffee was cheap and the creamer altogether too sweet. But it was free caffeine and never him his life had he turned down free caffeine. He opted for standing against the wall and was perfectly content to stare at the mishmash of notices tacked to the billboard. Except the secretary was staring at him. He pulled out his phone in what he hoped would be honored as the universal symbol for not needing a conversation.  

"Hey, by chance can I get a picture with you?"

There went all hope of being not being stressed today. It took every bit of his self-control to keep his eyeballs from hitting the back of his head. "Sure why not." This meeting was already on public record and he was trying to sound friendly, really he was. "Do you have your camera." 

She got up from the desk. Looking a bit bashful as she swiped the camera button. 

He wasn't sure he understood. Surely she must get people at least as important as him in here every day. A hand resting gently on her shoulder he tapped the screen as few times and handed the phone back. Normally about now the unrestrained fangirling would set in. But she just took the phone with a small sad smile on her face. He decided to test a theory. If he was right then this would go well. If he was wrong he would get to watch her scramble. "Did you know someone who got hit by the Crisis?"  

"Most of my family was from Eichenwalde." So he was right. 

"Did they make it out?" 

"A lot of them did." She said. That sentence held more pain than most would ever guess. 

He looked away from her eyes instead looking just above her head. Mind spinning desperately for something to say. The seconds ticked by. "I'm so sorry for your loss." It hadn't felt like the right thing. That was the kind of thing everyone said no matter what. It was required and polite and didn't actually mean any of the things he wanted it to. 

She went back to her desk where the little green light had been flashing for a solid minute. And with a deep breath she was all business again. "The council is ready to see you, Commander Morrison." 


End file.
